Jeff is joined by Rebeccah Heinrichs, Senior Fellow and defense policy expert at the Hudson Institute, to discuss current developments in Israel, Ukraine, and China. How do these conflicts impact American politics and policy? Get a thoughtful strategic analysis in this week's episode.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Jeremy Gypton

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John Moser and Eric Pullin discuss rapprochement and detente with China during the Nixon administration - how it came about, what resulted from it in the short-term, and what longterm challenges it created for America and the world.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Jeremy Gypton

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Jeff is joined by Jason Stevens, professor of Political Science at Ashland University, to discuss the meaning and legacy of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, delivered 160 years ago this month. Learn what made it so important then, and what we can draw from it now.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Jeremy Gypton

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Jeff discusses the historical and intellectual roots of Critical Race Theory with Robert George of Princeton University. What is CRT? Where does it come from? What are its roots as an academic movement? What does it preach, in practice, and how do these things shape the mind of the individual and relations between people?

George suggested a few readings, linked below.

Plato's Dialogue with Gorgias: https://classics.mit.edu/Plato/gorgias.html

Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice: https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1342

Federalist 10: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/federalist-10/

CS Lewis' "The Abolition of Man" : https://www.amazon.com/Abolition-Man-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652942

Repressive Tolerance: https://www.marcuse.org/herbert/publications/1960s/1965-repressive-tolerance-fulltext.html

George’s article on the topic: https://www.deseret.com/2023/8/6/23800937/critical-race-theory-martin-luther-king-jr-dei

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Jeremy Gypton

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What is going on in the House of Representatives, and why did the Republicans fire their own Kevin McCarthy as Speaker? Where did this come from, what does it say about Congress, the House, political parties in general and in this point in our history, and in particular the Republican party? Jeff Sikkenga is joined by Joe Postell of Hillsdale College to discuss these issues and more, starting with the background to the GOP revolt against their own leader and what has been going on in the House for the last few weeks. Joe, who offered McCarthy's firing as a possibility when we talked with him in January about the new session of Congress, analyzes the current state of our political parties and what this might mean for the future of the House and Congress. Recorded on 24 OCT 23, this is a timely discussion of important, developing events.

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Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Andy Lang and Jeff discuss the idea of American Exceptionalism - is America a special, distinct place because of its political culture and ideas? - and the Civil War. In particular, they discuss the question the Civil War presented: would America be exceptional because it sought to live up to its founding principles, or would exceptionalism result from the creation of a new country, based on the “science” of a racial hierarchy?

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Jeremy Gypton

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Jeff is joined by David Alvis, of Wofford Colege, to discuss the reasons behind and important of the separation of powers in American government. Sure, we were all taught about the three branches, but why those? And how does the American system of government try to balance among them, even while admitting overlap between them?

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Greg McBrayer

Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Download David’s book for free: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/product/separation-of-powers/

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